Diamondbrite paint protection - anyone tried it? If so, any good?

It claims:

“once applied, you’ll never have to polish or wax your car again. The Diamondbrite glaze prevents any fading or damage to paintwork, often caused by UV rays, road salts, acid rain and many other atmospheric pollutants. It’s also the only paint protection product in the UK to provide any warranted protection against bird droppings. Included in the package is the Diamondbrite interior protection – great for looking after your carpets and fabrics.”

Cost? about £250 with “lifetime guarantee”

 

Stay away!!!..For a number of reasons

  1. The salesmen are on commission…its not worth anything like this amount…Lok how much it is on eBay…Its only a sealant

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R3.TR4.TRC1.A0.H0.XDiamondbrite.TRS0&_nkw=jewelultra+diamondbrite&_sacat=0

  1. Its rarely applied correctly at the dealers…They just don’t have the time or the skills in some cases

  2. What it promises is absolute rubbish…I just don’t know how they can claim it lasts for years…Disgraceful

Get yourself a local Detailer instead

Or DIY with some decent sealant and wax

I agree with ChrisRs - Diamondbrite & similar dealer-applied “treatments” are all a total waste of money in my opinion.  My Dad often fell for this when he bought new cars, but it seemed to make no difference to paint durability & finish at all.  In fact, when he’d had it done to one vehicle it completely ruined the finish which was then always very “swirly” & defeated all attempts to rectify.

Guess that I’m a bit old-fashioned but I’ve used Autoglym Super Resin Polish for over 20 years & still very pleased with that product.  They also do a High Gloss Protection product which is a paint sealant, I apply that after using the Resin Polish to give extra protection to the finish from bird crap etc.

I’ve had similar on my other car, that was Autoglym Lifeshine. To say the word “Life” and “Shine” is included in the blurb it certainly didn’t shine much after 6 months, why else would they give me a kit to do it myself later.

Anyways I would recommend you spend the money on a proper detail as Chris above mentions. I did the very thing with my Mk3 and it was the best use of my hard earned than any of these protection offerings with new cars that get pushed at you these days.

a good wax is always much better

 

Not a polish… which is different.

 

just buy a good quality “wax” or hard wax, and it will last longer than lifeshine etc !!

The Paint will need decontaminating and light polishing first

Followed by some oil remover like CarPro Eraser or Gyeon Prep or a Cleaner Polish, like Dodo Juice Lime Prime

This will make sure that the sealer or wax…or both will properly adhere to the paint surface

This will give longer durability

Its all in the preparation…not JUST the wax

Thanks everyone who responded, I’ll avoid Diamondbrite and carry on with my own treatment.

I have to disagree with most of the comments.
When I purchased Cariad new in 2010, I had her Diamondbrite coated, You have to renew it now and again froma supplied bottle ,however, she still looks like new, just as beautiful as ever, the advantage to me is the protection from UV which minimises fading and the coating is slippy which helps road dust to slide off.
I’ve had cars for approx 30 years and never had a car which is so easy to keep clean.
That’s my honest opinion after 6 years of use.

When I take her for her yearly service and MOT I invariably get the comments about her paintwork being so shiny," she looks like new" is the usal.

I have no connection with diamond brite. I speak as I find.

Gales

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=84784

 

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4885909

 

Ill stick with my opinion as well from experience on my fathers Mazda 3 (Same paint as MX-5’s) and Professionally as a Car Detailer

I’d agree with Chris, it was on mine, when I purchased it at 12 months old. I hadn’t had it on any of my previous cars and didn’t notice any difference to those vehicles. I therefore couldn’t see the benefit of maintaining something I was unsure about and went back to my usual regime of cleaning. Its was clayed and polished (to ensure I’d removed it) then waxed.

‘Gales’ clearly believes its worked which is great for them. However it has been maintained by re-applying regularly.

Isn’t that always the key? There isn’t any magic formula. If you have a decent cleaning regime your car will stay looking good.

We had our tin top [ds3td ] done when it was bought 3 + years ago [part of the deal] and its washed every month or so by our local hand wash crew , lives in the car port gets shat on etc but is as bright and shiny as the day we got it each to his own!

 

 

i have a good mate in the body repair business and his comments echo yours, sounds like good advice.

i have been “taken in” by these products in the past simply because i never queried it.

would not touch them now.

 

I’ve applied Diamondbrite to two of my cars (foc), firstly a red X Type Jag and the effect was noticeable. This car was left out all weathers but I applied it to my garaged black mx5 and noticed no effect at all.

I know a chap with a garaged red Mondeo who had it applied something like 10 years ago and he swears by it. His S reg Mondeo still looks in show room condition.

Gales mx5 is red, perhaps Diamondbrite favours red body work!

When my wife purchased her white car a year ago she had Gen3 glasscoat applied. Her car is left outside and so far I am more than happy with its effect.  

Richard.

Protection though which essentially is what we are talking about here is not defined by it being shiny, but something more subtle in the amount of displaced and the type of water behaviour.

Diamondbrite is invariably let down by the need to add a “top up” element to it which actually when you really break it down is hiding the fact that the sealant is of poor quality.

To properly explain this further using an open hose overload a particular panel with water then remove, the longer it takes to remove the further the protection has degraded from it’s original state. Water beading can be an indicator of protection reducing, but critically will occur and be obvious long after overloading the panel or to use the correct term “sheeting” has reduced in the quantity of water displaced from the panel.

The most difficult panels being obviously ones that are nearer horizontal, and any video using doors, boots etc. nearer vertical will clearly show protection for longer than the horizontal ones and is one reason why you tend to see protection reduce in these areas alongside heavily impacted dirt areas reduce the most.